There are a lot of different ways to tackle an Airstream project. Right or wrong, I prefer to get the stripping and buffing out of the way early in the project. I have done the stripping and polishing at the beginning and end of different projects and prefer to do the first and most labor intensive cut right away. Why?
Well, I use a pressure washer and Aircraft Stripper to strip the aluminum body of paint, clear coat and years of old sealants and grime. This will often cause big leaks. Next, I like to tackle the messy buffing job where everything is covered in aluminum oxide. I hate tracking it into my freshly painted newly finished Airstream. I actually prefer to polish the coach and then move it to another location in the yard to escape the mess. If things go as planned, next we seal all the exterior seams, replace gaskets and attempt to make it as dry as possible in the Airstream before building inside.
I was supposed to be buffing Dream Boat today and I couldn’t resist taking the buffer to the skin of at least one of the fleet. The number of Airstreams I have collected really getting a little silly. I just can’t leave Airstreams rotting in a field if I have the ability to rescue them. They just follow me home if my bank account allows it. It is such a rewarding hobby for me.
After I finish the Airstream, I give a quick polish to spiff up the already shiny skin. It is less messy and it usually takes me a day to buff and a second day to seal seams. Doing the work this way has the added benefit of making the Airstream look better as it is being worked on. I love all Airstreams but my neighbors might not want to look at the dilapidated fleet. Some of these projects are ugly to begin and get worse before they get better and once had someone suggest I had a junkyard.
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